Tuesday, 14 January 2014

Crapita - Coming to a Council Near You Soon.....

Hurry, hurry, hurry! Book now to avoid disappointment, and you can head off to Cardiff on 18 March to a conference on Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Wales being organised by one of the UK's favourite outsourcing companies, Capita plc. For a mere £420 (£350 + VAT for local government representatives) you can hear a number of guest speakers, including Carmarthenshire's own Jane Tremlett, Executive Board Member for Social Care and Health.

This is indeed a rare opportunity because Mrs T does not normally have very much to say for herself in council meetings.

Caebrwyn reported last week that Jane Tremlett had recently attended a Crapita conference, and she was apparently so impressed that she has now agreed to address one of their events. Speakers normally receive a hefty fee plus expenses for these onerous duties, and so in those famous words it shouldn't cost us a penny. Except that Mrs T is likely to be accompanied on the outing by a small posse from County Hall, and they will all no doubt submit claims for tickets.

Wikipedia, admittedly not the most reliable of sources, coyly and correctly notes that, "Capita Group has not always been received well by the public and in the
media. It has gained the alternative nickname, Crapita, particularly
from the coverage in the satirical/investigative magazine, Private Eye, of its many failures and setbacks in the public sector."

Crapita recently took over the running of many services in the London Borough of Barnet amid a great deal of controversy and courtroom activity, and it was of course in Barnet that our own chief executive began his ascent up the greasy pole of local government mandarinhood.

This therefore has all the makings of a wonderful marriage with golden parachutes and handshakes all round for the top brass. To see how things have shaped up in Barnet, you can read the tamping Mrs Angry, or for a wider perspective just Google "Capita+scandal".

A rather less rosy future awaits low paid council staff and us, the reluctant customers/council tax payers.

If you are fortunate enough to speak Welsh, here is an alternative event.

9 comments:

It beggars believe that a company that DWP awarded a £140 million contract in 2012 to provide health and disability assessment services have the audacity to run an event to promote safeguarding vulnerable adults in Wales!!! A company whose chief executive of the PIP division (Dr Stephen Duckworth) refused to explain controversial comments he made in a national newspaper about some of the most vulnerable people in this country. Shocking, deplorable and scandalous!!!

Cllr Jane Tremlett, Executive Board Member for Health and Social Care, said: “Our staff do a wonderful job every day of the year, but I want to thank them personally for all that they do on Christmas Day when I know that they’d love to be at home with their families.” Your right Cllr Tremlett!! So I take it with these wonderful words these angels can count on you to fight for a living wage and defend them when the grim reaper wields his axe during the cost cutting exercise?

Cllr Jane Tremlett, Executive Board Member for Health and Social Care, said: "As carers champion I keep that in the forefront of my work. I like to listen and then act. As I say, it’s no good just um, you know, sitting in committees and doing things wrong, we have to listen to what people have to tell us and then we have to act to change things." More fine words!!! As a Carer's Champion and Disability Ambassador I hope this will be in the forefront of your mind when you make your speech at the conference. You could start by asking the audience if they are aware that Mr Paul Pindar the chief executive of Capita was upset at being labelled a fat cat. He defended this by telling employees that his basic weekly salary was only £14,500. Go on to explain that his employees didn't know whether to laugh or cry! Ask the audience to contrast this enormous salary with a Carers weekly allowance of £59.75 and make them aware of Capita's plan to see a fifth of disabled people stripped of life-saving benefits.

If you can not afford £ 420 to listen to Mrs Tremlett, how about a party unit in Language Society of the County Council at the National Eisteddfod in August? You will have fun while celebrating the Council's new attitude towards the Welsh language. Free of charge!

I've been worrying all day about this accusation of 'tamping'. Not sure it is the sort of activity I should be engaged in, is it? Is it popular in Carmarthenshire, Cneifiwr? Or is perhaps Welsh for Ten Pin Bowling, as in the Towy Church venture?